Page 63 - DMGT520_ORGANIZATION_CHANGE_AND_DEVELOPMENT

Organization Change and Development

Notes 4.2.1 The Political Subsystem

For convenience, the notion of social subsystem can be used to denote the subsystem about
which the OD consultant is expert and in which he or she operates. Thus subsystem coexists with
many others, one of which can be labeled as political subsystem.
The political subsystem is composed of the sources, locations, and flow of power through the
organisation. The basic criterion effectiveness within the subsystem is the extent to which
sufficient power can be accumulated and transferred to these locations (i.e. the individuals) in
the organisations to maintain productive operations, solve problems, and implement solutions.
A political subsystem is efficient to the extent that power can be accumulated and transferred
quickly and with precision.
A tenet of general systems theory is that subsystems interact with one another. Therefore,
changes in either the social or political subsystem will produce changes in other. The interactive
relationship poses at least two basic problems for the OD consultants concerned with
organisational politics. The first is determining how support can be generated within the political
sub-system to aid work within the social subsystem. The second is knowing what changes are
necessary in the social subsystem to development of an effective and efficient political subsystem.

OD consultant needs to be politically more sophisticated and active in order to increase the
intervention success. But in the past OD consultants have shown minimal interest in politics so
the issue that gets raised is how they have been able to survive, much less be successful. One
reason may be just good fortune. Another may be that clients themselves come to see that
political cooperation is necessary to protect their own self-interest. There may be a third reason:
OD has developed a largely unrecognized political orientation in addition to its clinical one and
this political orientation complements the clerical one in producing successful interventions.

The knowledge base of OD incorporates clinical concepts relevant to models of power and even
sources of power available to consultants for work in interventions (Huse, 1980). Properly
viewed such concepts of power can come from a foundation on which to build political theory
and intervention strategy. Yet, even today the knowledge base of OD remains essentially lacking
in political theory and models to help guide the consultants in terms of political intervention
strategies. Therefore, if political assistance is given to consultant, it must come from the value
and the technological base of the field.
The more one explains OD, the more one can see its political side. It is true, however, that OD’s
clinical orientation remains permanent and the political side plays a mostly unrecognized,
supportive role. Evaluation made by Bennis (1969), Beer (1976) and Burke (1976) hold true today.
Organisation Development has not come to fully appreciate the impact that organisational
politics has on change programs. Nor has OD developed the models, knowledge, and facts that
refused a sophisticated political orientation.
Nevertheless, OD’s brand of “political pacifism should not be ignored. It needs to be further
explored for at least three reasons. The first is to see if the direction it provides is appropriate for
the various situations OD consultants encounter. Second, if OD is determined to become politically
more active, a foundation for such growth may be found not only in the values and technology
of OD but its knowledge base as well. Third, OD’s present political orientation can serve as a
reference point. As such, it is useful for exploring those issues involved in assuming a greater
political role.

58 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY